THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20074, 1 November 1930, Page 8

THE COURTS.

SUPREME COURT. CRIMINAL SESSIONS. PRISONERS SENTENCED. The Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) passed sentence on six prisoners in the Supreme Court yesterday morning. BANK OFFICER IMPRISONED. Frederick George Findlay McKay was sentenced to twelve months' reformatory imprisonment on each of two charges of theft from the Bank of New South Wales at Greymouth, the terms to be concurrent. Mr C. S. Thomas appeared for the prisoner, and said he was a man 86 years of age.roarried, and with two children. He had been with the bank for twenty years, and had an excellent record. Some time ago he had started betting, and when pressure had come from the bookmaker* he owed money to, he had stolen from the bank instead ( of using moral courage and facing it out. ' He was the sole support of his wife and children, who wera absolutely dependent on him. He had always been of a nervous temperament, and since his return from the war had been worse. The Chief Justice said he recognised the very fact of a man in the prisoner's po|ition being brought before the Court would create a certain amount of punishment, but at the same time it was not a question of punishing the individual. The punishment must act as a deterrent on others. It was a case in which he felt he could not grant probation. He did not think the punishment he intended to impose could be regarded as a heavy one. He then sentenced McKay to twelve months' reformative imprisonment. BREAKING AND ENTERING. Harold Henry Williams, on three charges of breaking and entering, all at Timaru, was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment with hard labour on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. He would, said his Honour, also make the recommendation to the Prison Department that at-the expiration of his sentence the*prisoner be allowed a chance to join his friends in his own country. FORGERY CHARGE. Arthur Reginald Borland was placed on probation for a term of three years in connexion with a forgery charge to which he pleaded guilty in the lower Court. jl r F. D. Sargent, who appeared under instructions from Borland's former employer, said that gentleman was prepared to take him back again. Although there was a long list of previous convictions against the prisoner, for the last two years be had been eoing straight. The actual forgery in this instance was a particularly clumsy one. The Chief Justice said although the Probation Officer did not recommend probation, ha would grant it in this instance, although it meant stretching the Act, in all probability, bevond its limit. The special conditions attached to the „ n ting of the probation were that the Prisoner should repay the amount of £2 Is, of the prosecution, within six weeks, nA that he should not go into an hotel unless acting for his employer, or touch liquor in - n v form at all. HOUSEBREAKING. Frederick Burger Clark, who was charged with housebreaking and theft, and with house-

breaking with the intent to commit a theft, was sentenced to eighteen months' reforms*tive detention. Mr E. S. Bowie Baid while drink was one of the causes, the fact that the prisoner's wife had gone away with another man had started him and tended to lower the prisoner's moral code. ADMITTED TO PROBATION. Two men, George Alfred Hayward and Edward Victor Pope, were charged with breaking* and entering the l4 Star" stores. They pleaded guilty in the lower Court and were sentenced by the Chief Justice to probation for two years. Mr A, A. McLachlan, who appeared for Pope, said the prisoner was 23 years of age and had a wife and a child two or . three months old. His conduct had been excellent, but owing to being out of work he had become desperate and for two or three days „ had not had any food. He joined Hayward Ij and they broke into the shop taking some tea, butler, cheese, and other goods to eat. ; MAGISTERIAL. 1 I 5 / 5 FRIDAY. ' (Before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M.) ) DRUNKENNESS. 3 Dorothy Eileen Pearl Neill, aged 25, on a , charge of being found drunk in Madras street i on October 3(rth, was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment. She had been convicted of > similar offences twice during the past sis i months. » ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. ® Charleß James Wilson, a woolclasser, aged ' 61, was charged that, on October 80th, at Ghristohuroh, he attempted to commit suicide. _ He pleaded fjuilty. [ - Senior-Sergeant J. J. O'Grady said that the offence occurred on Thursday afternoon. He asked that Wilson be placed in . the charge of a male relative. There were friends to whom he could go. Accused was convicted and ordered to come 3 up for sentence if called upon within six 3 months. He would not be callatl upon if 1 he went to live with some person who could J look after him. i REMANDED. Barney Vincent Rcardon, aged 26, and > David George McGifford, alias Georgo John Forester, aged 22, were charged that, on t>r about October 26th, 1930, at Greymouth, l they broke and entered the warehouse of Ross and Gleadining, Ltd., and did commit 3 theft. They were remanded till November 6th. STOLEN TEA. » . Graham, aged 29, a labourer, marr with two children, was charged with 3 receiving 61b of tea, valued at 108, the pro- , Perty of the New Zealand Railway. Depart--3 ment, knowing the ue to have been dishonestly obtained. _ J. B. Young eaid , graham waa a casual labourer employed at i J™ railway goods sheds. He had betrayed , trust in accepting the stolen tea. . waa convicted and fined £2, in de- " l u days' imprisonment with hard 3 labour. He was allowed 14 days in which to , pay BY-LAW BREACHES. ! r KV ® ar k' n £ motor-cara at night without j Graham S. G. Bennett, .Lewis Alexander Benzani, George Hart Christie, Colin ■ a !° rB A Gajdner, Paul Cornelius Holmes, •« -ii. n - J°h n ston, Alexander McDonald omith, Maurice William Rhodes, anH John

. Joseph Palmer were each fined XOa and costs. - On each of two similar charge®, Charles Holdsworth was fined 10s and costs. 3 For parking a motor-van without lights, | Tony leemonger was fined 10s and costs. ' Bobert Napier Macready .was fined 10s and costs on a charge of riding a motor-cycle at night without lights. On charges of cycling on the footpath, John William Nixon, William Ewart 1 Roberta, Henry Spencer, Erie Wait, William : George Wigglesworth, and Thomas William Wilson were each fined 10s and costs. larly charged, Edward Chambers McDonald f and William Henry Gerrington were fined , 5s each and costs. t For cycling without a light, William insba- < , &rd Johns was fined 5s and costs and -Alex- [ ander Peddie and Bernard .Wild 10s and ; costs. On a similar charge, Frederick Covl entry was fined 5s and costs, and for/cycling > without a reflector ss. ■ Herbert Cochrane was fined :10b and coats for riding a motor-cycle without . e umberplates, and 5s and costs for riding without a license. - For riding a motor-cycle without x numberplates, Frederick Howarth. was fined 10s and costs. For driving without motor-driver's licenses William McLelland Priest was "fined 10s and costs and Eoy Norman Boberts 6s and costs. t Norman Frederick Orchard, on a charge . of speeding, was convicted and fined £4 > and costs,' and his license ordered to be [ cancelled. t Charged with negligent driving, Nellie Dunn (Mr W. R. Lascelles) was fined £3 and costs, and Ruth E. Dobson (Mr C. S. Thomas) was convioted and fined a similar j. amount. A charge of negligent driving was . also brought against Cyril Osmond Spiller (Mr G. P. Purnpll), who was convicted and j fined 10s and costs. A similar charge against s Frederick Allen Pithie (Mr Wylie) was dis- , missed. j Fanny-Fearon Harvev was fined 5s and costs for allowing a chimney to catch on , Gca. 9 | CIVIL CLAIM. , The hearing was concluded yesterday in the -case in which D. T. Moffat, a butcher of Redcliffs (Mr E. W. White), claimed from W. W. Toy, a shipping agent, of Lyttelton i fMr W. J. Sim), the sum of £3O 17s 6d, i beins damages alleged to be due by defendant r as the result of a collision between de- , - fendant's motor-car and a motor-cycle and f side-car delivery outfit owned by plaintiff t and driven by Archibald Neilson, on August '4th „ 1930, on the main Sumner road. Defendant counter-claimed for £2O 19s 4d for damages to defendant's motor-car arising - from the collision, and alleged to be due 1 tci negligence on the part of Neil son. Judgment was given for plaintiff for 17s 6d and cofts. On the counter-claim judgment was given for the original plaintiff.